Tip #3: Microphone Pickup Angle

Microphone pickup angle: The angle in front of a microphone where a sound source can be located without a noticeable change in loudness.

For unidirectional microphones (cardioid, supercardioid, etc.), the angle from the center-line to the point where the output of the mic is noticeably lower (3 dB down) is one half of the pickup angle. The typical pickup angle of a cardioid microphone is 131 (65.5 to either side of the center-line of the microphone).